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They talk about the PBC mismatches and then give Lomachenko a pass. You can't expect every top fighter to always be in a tough fight. It takes time to build fights, and these guys fight schedules have to meet around the right time, so sometimes a tune up is necessary.
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PBC is great, and anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't have the sport's best interest in mind.
That said this Top Rank venture with ESPN has one majorly different component -- and that's ESPN. ESPN can reach the masses in a really, really dynamic way with all of their platforms. If ESPN really tries to promote the sport seriously, it can be a game changer.
For the first time since, I think I've been alive (well outside of Mayweather/Pacquiao I guess) I actually witnessed them take the sport seriously last week.Comment
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PBC had ESPN. They were ignored even though they aired shows like Santa Cruz-Mares and Thurman-Collazo on there.
Golden Boy has ESPN now. And you don't hear anything about it.
Come to think of it, when's the last time you heard anything positive about boxing on ESPN?
The carrot on the stick that got them to buy in last week was Pacman. But I'd hold off until August, and really post-August, to see just how much they will show they care.Comment
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Yeah great points -- if they revert back to form and largely ignore their boxing content like they've traditionally done in the past, then all bets are off. But something tells me this is different, because they actually made a play for two of the brightest young stars in the sport (Crawford & Lomachenko). And I don't know how accurate this is but I coulda swore I read somewhere that they plan to treat the Crawford & Lomachenko fights in August in similar fashion to the Pacquiao/Horn fight (heavy promotion with basically an entire night dedicated to those fights).
We'll see.Comment
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I LOVE IT! I think it is great for the sport of boxing to have ESPN being invested in boxing and talking more boxing all together!
Not sure what will happen to HBO and honestly don't really CARE! Likely turn most of their focus to International Fighters I'm Assuming which I have no problem with but it will not be the same!Comment
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Would hold the hype, tbh
No different than what Arum did in teasing Pacquiao to Showtime, he's likely using whatever ESPN dates that he purchased (I doubt that ESPN is paying up) to build up assets that he can take back to HBO, who still give the most TV dates to Top Rank.
Crawford will have his ESPN, only in the name of setting the stage for Pacquiao-Crawford on PPV (Pacquiao showed major age faster than Arum expected, so the cash out timeline had likely been sped up; Pacquiao's drew 2.5m homes, Crawford should likely draw 1m homes, and Top Rank will hope that ESPN will be able to convince enough of the maybe 3m unique homes to pay the $65/$70 on PPV to cover Pacquiao's final ask. 500k homes, plus the site fee from MGM Resorts should be about to cover everything).
Lomachenko is fighting a stay-busy fight on ESPN, but HBO isn't going to let Loma-Berchelt/Miura happen anywhere else (Loma-Corralles may end up possibly on ESPN, but I don't see HBO giving that one up either)Comment
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Boxing Leaks boxingLeaks Jul 1
Source close w/Arum. Intellectually lazy of me to characterize it as a time buy. More accurately, ESPN is not paying for the shows.
Boxing Leaks boxingLeaks Jul 2
$50m from a hedge fund with end game being Top Rank/ESPN partnered boxing internet channel.
Boxing Leaks boxingLeaks Jul 2
No idea (about OTT vs Internet), but I understand ESPN old fights are part of the channel.
Boxing Leaks boxingLeaks Jul 2
Replying to simonboxinghead jeremyFoley BarbosaBox
Yes to Unimas show. Heard TR moving everything to ESPN & will be one or two ABC fights (same company as ESPN). Haven't heard bout UK shows.Comment
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